Russell Crowe Feels Blessed

Though he was once known for his quick temper, Oscar-winner Russell Crowe says he is “a lot calmer” these days. The 45-year-old actor, who has sons Charlie, 5, and Tennyson, 2 1/2, with wife Danielle Spencer, recently talked to Parade magazine about his new outlook on life.

On mellowing in recent years: “I think any negativity stems from struggling with feelings of self-worth. I don’t consider myself to be worthy of a frenzy of media attention, so when people sort of come at you, sometimes your reaction is to get angry. But I’m way past that sort of stuff now. I’m a lot calmer with it.”

On what really matters: “I think the vast majority of people would choose family first. I realize what a responsibility it is to be a parent. In this modern world, we expect so much from a father, yet the definition is still somebody who works all week to put the food on the table. Somehow, you have to be able to do that work, bring home the money and still make yourself available to your kids.”

On fatherhood: “Having two little boys just makes me feel very, very blessed. It was the right time for me to become a dad, I needed it. There’s a sort of higher level of perception that comes with being a parent that gives you a different viewpoint on things. I’m two or three steps back from where I used to be.”

On keeping in touch: “I was ‘Skyping’ the other night, where you can talk over the computer and you can actually see each other. I have my computer hooked up to a camera in the kids’ playroom. So every now and then I can sort of just burst into the playroom. When they seem happy to see me, even if I’m thousands of miles away, it’s pretty special.”

Russell is back on the big screen this weekend alongside Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams in State of Play.